The formal education of laboratory personnel focuses primarily on the basic sciences and specific clinical laboratory practices. However, many of these personnel are called upon to teach students, new employees, and/or colleagues participating in continuing education/in-service activities. Often those called upon are totally unprepared for that role, due in part to their lack of or superficial exposure to even the most rudimentary principles and concepts associated with the teaching/learning paradigm. Therefore, a five-step approach is presented to help laboratory personnel called upon to teach in the clinical setting. The model does not purport to present any new or unique procedures. Rather, it attempts to bring together, in synergistic fashion, a variety of educational tenents. By following the approach, instructors will not only become aware of the characteristics of effective instructors and adult learners, but will also come to appreciate the complexity of the entire teaching/learning process. The approach consists of discussions related to: preparing for the role of instruction; preparing the learner for instruction; presenting the task/procedure; practicing the procedure; and evaluating the teaching/learning process. The approach has been used in a variety of clinical settings and has been found to generate positive results for both instructors and students. (JN)